Педагогические науки/ 5. Современные методы преподавания

Ст. преподаватель Сидорова Т.П.

THE CRITICAL THINKING TECHNOLOGY IN WRITING AT A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

ФГОУ СибАДИ (Сибирская автомобильно-дорожная академия), Омск, Россия

It is a well known fact that there are still many problems in acquiring foreign language proficiency by the students of technical higher education institutions in Russia. The critical thinking technology in writing is successfully used both in Russia and abroad as a method to improve the situation. Writing skills are built in the depth of our comprehension: a writing person fixes some thoughts, and then studies them in a written form and as a response on these fixed thoughts come new ones, much more interesting.

As shows our experience cognitive capabilities of modern students allow practical use of such methods as writing an essay, a story, a poem at the lesson or at home. Made to some well known rules, organized in an educational process they aim to achieve good results in studying foreign languages.

Each written text develops reading skills, because students begin then to read as a writer does and accordingly, understand better how to build a text to achieve the set goal. Genike E.A. Trifonova E.A. claimed that creation of the most substantive texts passes next phases: inventory, making a draft, correcting, and publication. On the inventory phase students collect information. It is rational here to use the method of graphical visualization of the information so called ‘mapping’ [1.Ellis, Fouts, 1993: 56]. Then making a draft follows. Such a work has a preliminary experimental character. Till a draft is in a process you don’t have to value your ideas critically or pay attention at their form.This phase may be called “a free writing”.

On a correction phase you need to carry out the necessity to clear expound your ideas. Skills of correction have three main features:

– The concern about the text being not contradictory;

– The ability to see actual or stylistic and other mistakes;

– The ability to correct mistakes. [7.Zair-Bek, Mushtavinskaya, 2004: 95]

It’s easy to imagine that the publication is the most exciting event for an author. It is a possibility to share own thoughts, see the impressions of readers, get to know, what other students have written. A written creation is always a reflection. A reflection means the possibility to express oneself, own interests, motives and conditions [5.Simnyaya, 1991:54]. This process includes and is based on the verbalization.

Speaking about the experience with the writing technology we are going to pay attention to some forms of writing exercises such as essay and cinquain.

So essay as a form of a written task can be used at the end of the foreign language lesson to help students concentrate their knowledge on a studied topic. The task which a teacher can give here is to use the new lexica in a major amount or to show how students know the new grammar material. The named exercise is also effective as a home work. Students fulfill such kind of tasks gladly if the amount of words is set by the teacher.

The cinquain is a form and a mean to sum up the information set out in written form ideas, feelings, and views in a few words. The word “cinquain” comes from French word “five”. The rule of writing the cinquain is as follows:

1. The first line is a noun, which reflects the name of the topic;

2. The second line is a description of the topic in two words (two adjectives);

3. The third line is a description of an action boxed in this topic in three words (verbs, participles II)

4. The fourth line is a phrase of four words showing the attitude to the topic.

5. The last line is a synonym, metaphor. It is only one word which repeats the essence of the topic.

Cinquain is very useful as:

1) An instrument for the synthesizing of the complex information;

2) A mean for the assessment of conceptual students’ luggage;

3) A mean of the creative expressiveness [4. Lopanova & Rabochikh, 2007:79].

It is worth mentioning that the use of the “writing technology” involves group, pair and also collective actions. It is emotionally colored, lends educational influence and helps to develop students’ creative abilities.

In conclusion it is worth mentioning that the technology of critical thinking in writing is a very productive one while working with written text, writing, organization of discussions, teaching grammar. It reflects not only the language picture of the world, but is also the philosophical approach to the education. It is an important pedagogical technology, ideology and a cultural phenomenon [6.Voyevoda E.V, 2012: 73]. It may be very effective according to the demands of the Federal state education Standard of Higher Professional Education of Russia [2, 2010:43].

References:

1. Ellis, A.K., Foots, J.T., (1993), Research on educational innovations, Princeton: Junction, 56 p.

2. The Federal state educational Standard of the third generation for Higher Professional Education (2010), The Ministry of Education of Russian Federation, Moscow: MGPU, 43 p.

3. Genike, E.A., Trifonova, E.A., (2002), Critical thinking development (Base model). Moscow: Bonfy

4. Lopanova, E.V., Rabochikh T.B., (2007). The competent approach in study: technologies of the implementation, Omsk: Omsk state pedagogic university, 119 p

5. Simnyaya, I.A., (1991), Psychology of teaching foreign languages at school. Moscow: Prosveschenie, 208 p.

6. Voyevoda, E.V, (2012), Critical thinking as a cultural phenomenon. Language and communication in a cultural context: Collection of articles in materials of the 7-th International scientific and practical conference, Ryazan: S.A. Yesenin RSU pp.120-126.

7. Zair-Bek, S.I., Mushtavinskaya, I.V., (2004.) The critical thinking skills development.